INEC: no registration for African Peoples Congress

WHO has the franchise to the acronym – APC? The All Progressives Congress or the African Peoples Congress? This controversy will soon end.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday turned down the application of the African Peoples Congress, one of the three parties laying claim to the ownership of the acronym.

The three parties are seeking registration with INEC.

INEC had initially kept quiet over the rejection of the African Peoples Congress, but when the group cried foul, the electoral body came out to confirm the rejection, backing its action with Section 222 A of the Constitution.

He claimed have learnt that a letter to that effect was awaiting the signature of INEC chair Prof. Attahiru Jega.

Copies of the unsigned letter were made availbale to newsmen in Abuja yesterday.

Entitled: “Re-Application for Registration as a political party, the letter was on INEC’s letter-headed paper and dated March 21, 2013. It was addressed to Ikeagwuonu.

The explanation for the rejection according to the letter, is that African Peoples Congress breached Section 222 (a) of the Constitution.

Section 222 A states that “no association by whatever name called shall function as a political party, unless the names and addresses of its national officers are registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission.”

This, the letter claimed, was absent in the application of the group.

The electoral umpire had initially denied the existence of such a letter.

But the group made copies available to reporters in Abuja. INEC’s Director of Information, Mr. Emmanuel Umenger confirmed that the contents of the letter.

The letter reads: “Your application for registration as a political party dated 28th February, 2013 refers. The commission has observed that your association is in breach of Section 222 (a) of the Constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) which stipulates as follows:

“No association by whatever name called shall function as a political party unless; the names and addresses of its national officers are registered with the Independent National Electoral Commission;. A close observation of your submitted form PA 1 established that it does not contain the addresses of your national officers as stipulated in the provisions above.

“Consequently, the commission shall not register the proposed African Peoples Congress (APC) as a political party.”

Umenger confirmed that INEC declined the application for registration of the group as a political Party.

He said: “Yes, I am in receipt of a letter similar in content with the one you said was duly signed by INEC’s Secretary, Alhaji Abdullahi Kaugama and it has been delivered to the addressee (African Peoples Congress) and one Michael Ogani signed and collected the letter and dated it March 25, 2013.

“The content is what you read to me earlier. The point of departure, as I spoke with you before now, was that the letter you had was not signed and because it was not signed, we could not ascertain its authenticity and because of that I declined to speak on it. But as soon as it came to my table, I felt that it was necessary to call you and inform you that I am in receipt of a letter and its content; the letter has spoken.”

But Ikeagwuonu disagreed with the claims of the electoral body, saying that the excuse was flimsy.

He said: “Our attention has just been drawn to a desperate effort by some paid INEC officials to conclusively consummate the black market transaction we warned about last Thursday, to deny the African peoples Congress registration, citing purported irregularities in the addresses of our national officers while the INEC documents required either residential address or phone number.

“We had earlier alerted Nigerians about this high-level conspiracy and have thus been reliably informed today (yesterday) by an impeccable source that a draft letter denying APC registration is right now on the table of the INEC chairman, waiting for his endorsement.

“This, if executed, would amount to a rape of our democracy, which we in APC would resist with everything we have.

Just like we said in our briefing of Thursday, last week, we will not fold our hands and watch enemies of democracy masquerading as INEC officials run a roughshod over Nigeria’s democracy.”

When will our brother from EAST learn their lesson There nothing the Ibos will from PDP than what they have got. As for 2015, the president cannot come from the East. PDP and the Hausa-Fulani caucus will scheme you people out. Your effort like that Nzeribe ABN will yield but nothing. Instead of you people fighting a battle for survival, you deep neck on evil intention to derail newly formed party by the progressive. Go bury your head in shame you the so called the chairman or whatever you called yourself of the AFRICAN PEOPLE CONGRESS.

Defenceless masses

The danger is not yet past. The PDP web of intrigue is to use the African Peoples Congress to get a judgement at the Supreme Court which will create problems for All Progressive Congress at a later period when it will be devastating. APC please beware!

Richard Mpamugo

Hey point of correction. The real Easterners are also members of the original APC (All Peoples Congress ). Just to mention but a few, our amiable governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha and Ania Okonkwo are also forces in the APC, advancing the interest of true progressives.

John Jonathan

Yes, u will do everything within ur power so that part of the billions of naira given to u by PDP will be used. U are a complete loser by special name of God. U are out to deceive and share Nigeria votes, we are wiser than u thought. Go back to ur pay master and alert them that u ve failed.

PDP must go.
Election ringers as confirmed by Akpabio must go.
Looters must go.
Vampires must go.
Poverty Development Party must go.
Nest of killer party must go.

Amsayin Temitayo

All Progressive Congress is already been registered as a new party with the acronym: APC. Why will another set of people come out with a different slogan with the same accronym as the first APC to refister again as: African People Congress. Let us ask the why didn’t they choose another accronym different from APC? I think what they seek to achieve is confussion on election polls where those in the Local area with little or no education will be confused on which APC to vote for. INEC shoul rather tell them to change that name completetly rather than having two APC on ballot papers which will bring confussion later.

Another ASSOCIATION FOR BETTER NIGERIAN MAN [ABN] this man should show at least one office of his APC in the south east, not just ABUJA that is not his home ,shameless man.

Bokoharam

Inec has shown that it has been infiltrated, and as such has no mind of its own. when I began to see confidential materials moving all over the place I knew Nigerian democracy is in trouble. Now what inec has just done is capable of ensuring the non-participation of the merger group in the 2015 polls if care is not taken.

Onsachi

That is a bold step made by inec to showcase that our hope to revive this nation from cabal will not be aborted. Long live to Jega, inec, All Progressive Congress and Nigeria.

Am ashamed of d kind of Politics my Igbo brothers are playing. Look @ Gov. Peter Obi, refusing 2 join dis new party that has d capacity to change this country. Instead, he’s busy romancing wif d presidency, yet notin has bn done 4 d Igbos. Till our Niger bridge collapse and kill all d members of their families, that is when he will talk. As 4 Ikeogwuonwu or whteva he called himself, he should go and bury his head in shame. Until d Igbos desist 4rm bribe taking, Presidency will neva come to our zone. Remember wht happened during 1999 PDP convention? ekwueme wuld hav won, but his Igbo broda scuttled dat.4 now, i want let d whole world no that, we dont hav a capable hand in Igbi land 4 Presidency, since Rochas mayb going 4 2nd term as a governor. 4 now, let d seat go 2 anoda tribe or zone but d party must not b PDP. On APC we stand! Not APC chaired by dat fool oo.

koko

The onus is on EFCC to investigate those INEC officials and bring them to Justice with there crude act. Progressives should put the local attractions behind them and work towards a great manifesto. up Progressives APC.

afowowe chris

I am still observing, more scenario may still emanate with time.

WAZOBIA

APC is the party to win and rescue us …

Omolewu lanre

Well done prof jega, ur work today will speak for u tomorro

el_malud

PLs INEC , I will advise that you do the right thing no matter the cost. But we will be so disappointed in you if we find out that this African People… or whatever the name, has a legal and moral standing against you at the end. And that they were shortchanged.

Name doesn’t matter, it wil not make u win an election, so i dnt knw wy these merger parties are worried abt dis instead dem 2concentrate on enlightenin Nigerians abt dia party n also tel Nigerians wot dey wil do if voted in, make dia manifesto knwn 2de public, dey ar here makin useless noise. Wen a party is failin datz hw it starts, dis is a Boko Haram party period, all the leader ar in suport of amnesty 2Boko Haram esp. Tinubu, Masari, Yerima, hw many can i mention wot abt d mean man Buhari

Dele Oyedun-Austria

Up Jonathan. No one shall kick you out. You shall use two terms whether you know or you do not know how to do it. It is your chance. Boko haram or Hausa/Fulani can not kick you out. It is better for the far North to realise from now that anybody can rule Nigeria. Nigeria belongs to all of us. It is not the right of any part of Nigeria to dominate power to the detriment of other political regions. If the far North does not want it that way, they can excise themselves out of Nigeria. Nobody cares, they have the free choice to go.

With D way thns are going n managed in 9Ja,only a man with kindergatin knowdledge will want Jonathan back…Come 2015,GEJ will not even win as a ‘councillor’ in his ward.By D middle of 2014 U will see D ‘political-magic’,GEJ will become a lone-ranger preaching his own gospel only in Bayelsa.All his political crinies would have left him in his own conceit of folly.Now his Governors are exiting,next will be his ministers,to be followed by the almighty senators and house of rep members…Anenih knows it all,the man is planing to go round now in collection of his last tithe/offerings from all the PDP governors,before the chips finally comes down on that ‘cultish empire’ called the PDP!

Shearer

If you like comment anything or virulently; Inec still remains the worst electoral institution in this nation

I Could Remember(ICR)

Mr. Dele Oyedun i’m not suprised @ ur praise singing of GEJ. For d fact dat u’r not living with us here in 9ja does not warrant ur act of praise singing. I don’t wanna sound like a hater of d president but his actions n in-actions dis far have been very dissappointing especially when u consider d enomous support n sacrifice dat 9jarians displayed in 2011, hopes have been dashed, dreams shattered by GEJ & PDP. Come 2015 a more credible candidate shall be paraded by d opposition then pple like u will have no choice but 2 change ur music.

I Could Remember(ICR)

‘This, if executed, would amount 2 a rape of our democracy, which we in the APC would resist with everything we have’-Ikeagwuonu. I’m not surprise @ d statement of Mr. Ikeagwuonu whose name literarily means ‘d man who never cease talking (talkertive). Who is really ‘raping’ our democracy? Mr Ikeagwuonu if sleeping should wake-up from his slumber to reality dat Nigerians cannot be fooled anymore nor can we be taking 4 granted, we are now in d 20th century, wiser than d era of IBB & AREA BOYS OF NIGERIA’s Nzeribe.

Femi Toba from vienna Austria

Hello, Mr Dele Oyedun, i think you have family in Nigeria ? you stay in Austria here and you are singing praises to jonathan, you even say either he did well or not, Is that how Austria where you live today are being rule ? let allways be sincere in our contibution, we should not care where someone come from, but what is his or her archivement, go to nigeria and see things for yourself, Thank you God bless.

god boy

Emmmm Nigerians and Nigeria. I love all ur comment, but believe me APC will do same as PDP if they assume the throne becouse it is in our blood. Go to states where oppositions are rulling to make comparising SHAME. Moreso I pity those agitating for regional politics, they are still in darkness mtsewwww.

ThankGod Wehere

I just do not understand why this igbos wants to cause trouble again in this country again, a mad man said to someone who was waving a sharp knive to be very careful with that knive, and should he (mad man) look for his head, he will be in trouble.

Speakout

Dele oyedun-Austria. It’s a pity because you suppose to be from the wisest region of Nigeria, may be you were born in Austria, even, it’s unwise to stay outside and throw stone to your Father’s house, well, Yoruba has a name for your type

Ero

I wish you Nigerians your true expectations from the APC at their takeover of power in this country. My observation has proven that party isn’t our problem but the people. All APC faithfuls except Buhari and Tinubu are extracts of PDP and all are still Nigerians. Self deception is tragic. That is the Nigerians attribute.

Ozovehe

Jega has done the right thing. If it is Iwu we all know what to expect.

My dear cattle of Nigeria, don’t forget the past in a hurry. Even the sheep have learnt a new way of grazing. Zombie of the past are no longer zombie of today. This is computer age where every being has learnt how to make use of the head. Too much noise is being made over nothing.